Bendable shirt collar stay

ABSTRACT

A collar stay and garment arrangement has an inner collar for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer, and an outer fold-over collar with a point and for covering at least part of the inner collar, the collar stay having a first long portion for engagement an inner surface of the outer collar and for extending toward the point, and a second short portion for engaging an outer surface of the inner collar. A curved or connecting portion of the stay connects the first and second portions to each other and a bend in the first portion sets an angular position between the first and second portions that set an angular position between the inner collar and the outer collar point, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of clothing, and in particular, to a new and useful shirt or other garment collar stay that keeps the collar and neck opening of a shirt or other garment, neat and even.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,004,288 to Krick discloses a shirt collar stay having a curved portion for engaging an extra band under the collar for improving the effect of the stay to shape and position the points if the collar. Krick suggests no bend in his stay nor the use of an additional pocket other than the one provided under each collar point.

Published Patent Application US 2015/0157057 to Truong suggests adding a bend to an otherwise straight shirt collar stay to better shape the collar area of a shirt. Also see Published Patent Application US 2014/0090152 to Fernandez and U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,337 to Malouf for a similar teachings.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,320,302 to English suggests collar stays used with a band around the back of the wearer's neck to improving the shape and positions of the collar areas of a shirt.

A need remains for improving the position and shape of a shirt collar and adjacent areas of the shirt, especially when worn open at the neck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a garment collar stay and collar area structure that neatly shapes and positions the collar point and surrounding areas of the collar, especially when the collar is worn open. The garment may be a dress shirt, a sport shirt, a pull-over shirt, a blouse, a dress or another other garment to be worn on the upper body and having inner and outer collars as described here.

While the stay structure of the invention is particularly useful for dress and sport shirts, it can also be used in other types of collared shirts or other garments, including blouses and dresses, or any other garments having portions that extend around the neck of a wearer.

Accordingly, another object of the invention is to provide a collar stay and a garment with stay arrangement that comprises an inner collar for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer, an outer fold-over collar with points, and for covering at least part of the inner collar, and a collar stay having a first longer portion for engaging an inner surface of the outer collar and for extending toward each point, a second shorter portion for engaging an outer surface of the inner collar, a curved portion for connecting the first and second portions to each other, and a bend in the first portion. The bend sets an angular position between the first and second portions that sets an angular position between the inner collar and each outer collar point, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the shirt collar stay of the present invention in a flat, pre-use condition, before it has been inserted into specially positioned and oriented pockets in the collar area of a shirt of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of a shirt of the invention with the collar stays of the invention, the left outer collar point being up to illustrate how the stay is inserted, and the right outer collar point being down in a position for the shirt to be worn;

FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are views similar to FIG. 1 but of other embodiments of the collar stay of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view of a garment of the invention with the outer collar turned up to expose the normally covered inner collar and its pocket and a stay in place;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, but of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 8 of a still further embodiment of the invention but without a stay in place.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to the same or similar elements, FIG. 1 shows a collar stay 10 of the invention, for a garment arrangement of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the garment may be a dress or sport shirt 20 and the arrangement comprises an inner collar 24 for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer, an outer fold-over collar 22 with two points, the outer collar covering at least part of the inner collar. The collar stay 10 is make of bendable plastic like polyurethane or bendable metal like aluminum, and has a first longer portion 12 that engages the inner surface of the outer collar 22, and for extending toward the respective points of its collar. The stay 10 also has a second shorter portion 16 for engaging an outer surface of the inner collar 24, a curved portion 14 for connecting the first and second portions to each other, and a bend 18 in the first portion.

The bend, schematically shown at B in FIG. 1, sets an angular position between the first and second portions like shown at the right in FIG. 2, that thereby sets an angular position between the inner collar 24 and the outer collar points, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other.

This produces an neat even placement of the inner collar on the wearer's neck front that cannot be achieved by known straight collar stays.

The bend angle B is preferable an acute angle and is more preferably in the approximate range of 10 to 80 degrees, or more preferably 30 to 60 degrees.

The first and second portions of the stay 10 are engaged to the outer and inner collars respectively by providing a pocket for each portion. Pocket 26 for the first portion 12 of the stay 10 is formed in the inner surface of the outer collar 22 by parallel seams in a layer of cloth over the inner surface of outer collar 22. A pocket 28 in the outer surface of the inner collar 24 for the second portion 16 of the stay 10 is formed by parallel seams in a layer of cloth over the outer surface of inner collar 24.

While preferably parallel, the pockets 26 and 28 may have an acute angle between up to about 20 degrees. In likewise fashion the first and second stay portions 12 and 16 are preferably parallel but may have an angle of about zero (i.e. parallel) to 20 degrees between them.

This zero or small angle allows the easy insertion of both portions 12 and 16 of each stay 10 into its pockets 26 and 28, in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, for the left collar point. The stay 10 is then bent to angle B by the wearer, to suit his or her taste in fashion.

Pocket 26 is of known design in that it is formed of a layer of fabric over the inner surface of the outer collar 22, and a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel seams that are spaced by slightly more than the width of the first stay portion 12 for receiving portion 12.

The second pocket 28 of the invention is make of a second layer of fabric, such as a square or other shaped patch of fabric, sewn or otherwise fixed over the outer surface of the inner collar 24, and a pair of spaced apart, generally parallel seams that are space by slightly more than the width of the second stay portion 16.

For stay portions that are parallel to each other as in FIG. 1, the pockets 26 and 28 are likewise parallel to each other when the outer collar 22 is up as in the left part of FIG. 2. However, these pockets may be at a small, acute angle to each other and still function in accordance with the invention to receive stay portions that are at a similar angle to each other as in the collar stay of FIG. 3. In addition to or instead of non-parallel pockets to receive non-parallel stay portions, the pockets may be somewhat wider than the width of the respective stay portion to be received in that pocket to allow easier insertion of both stay portions.

The second pocket 28 in FIG. 2, is at an acute angle C to the major axis of the inner collar 24 of the shirt. This angle may be from 20 to 60 degrees but preferable 30 to 50 degrees. While preferably generally parallel to pocket 26, when the outer collar 22 is up as in the left part of FIG. 2, there may be an acute angle between the pockets, especially when the stay portions 12 and 16 are not parallel to each other.

With reference to FIG. 3, the ends of the long and short portions 12 and 16 of the stay may be pointy for use with pointy collar points, or any degree of rounded, FIG. 1 showing a stay of the invention with semicircular stay portion ends.

Also, the long and short portions of the stay may be substantially parallel to each other as in FIG. 1, or they may be at an acute angle to each other as shown in FIG. 3, the angle being preferable from zero (i.e. the portions are parallel like in FIG. 1) or up to about 60 degrees, or most preferably up to about 45 degrees. The parallel stay portions as in FIG. 1 make it easiest to insert the two portions at the same time into their respective pockets 26 and 28 in the direction of arrow A as in FIG. 2. However, even if the stay portions are at an acute angle to each other as in FIG. 3, they can still both be inserted while moving the stay in one direction due to the flexibility of the fabric of the garment and by making the pockets somewhat wider than the width of each stay portion or provided as the same angle as the angle between the stay portions.

FIG. 4 illustrates another shape for the collar stay of the invention, that can be used with the inner and outer collar and pocket arrangement of FIG. 2, or with the arrangements of FIG. 8 or 9. In FIG. 2 the opening to the second pocket 28 at the outer surface of the inner collar 24, is substantially transverse to the major axis of the inner collar and facing the rear of the garment. In the garments of FIGS. 8 and 9, the second pockets 26 in the inner collars 24 at the bottom of each figure, have opening 26 a and 26 b at acute angles to the major inner collar axis, the opening 26 a in FIG. 8 being parallel to the axis of the pocket and the opening 26 b in FIG. 9 being transverse to the pocket axis. In all cases the second pocket is closed at the opposite end from the opening.

FIG. 10 illustrated an embodiment of the garment of the invention where the second lower, inner collar pocket 126 has an upwardly facing opening 126 a for receiving the shorter portion of a flexible and bendable collar stay (not shown in FIG. 10). Depending on the acute angle at which the second pocket 126 in FIG. 10 is oriented, the collar stays of FIG. 5, or 6 or 7 may be used with this garment to shape and stiffen the inner plus outer collar combination, after the two portions of the stay are inserted into their respective pockets, and the stay is bent at an appropriate location between the stay portions and to the extend desired by the wearer.

The stay of FIG. 6, at an extreme, has first and second portions that are at an angle of about 170 degrees to each other. In FIGS. 5 and 4, the connecting portion between the long and short portions include three angles or direction changes, there being two direction changes in the stays of FIGS. 4 and 6.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A collar stay (10) for a garment (20) having an inner collar (24) for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer, and an outer collar (22) connected to the inner collar at a seam, the outer collar having at least one point and being a fold-over collar for folding over and covering at least part of the inner collar, the collar stay comprising: a first relatively longer portion (12) for engaging an inner surface of the outer collar (22) and for extending toward the point of the outer collar; a second relatively shorter portion (16) spaced from the first relatively longer portion, for engaging an outer surface of the inner collar (24); an connecting portion (14) connecting the first and second portions to each other; and a bend (18) in one of the first relatively longer portion (12) and the connecting portion (14) for setting an angular position between the first and second portions of the stay, the angular position sets an angular position between the inner collar and the outer collar point, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other.
 2. The collar stay of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the stay are substantially parallel to each other.
 3. The collar stay of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the stay are at an angle of about zero to 170 degrees to each other.
 4. The collar stay of claim 1, wherein the bend (B) is at an acute angle.
 5. The collar stay of claim 1, wherein the bend (B) is at an angle of 10 to 80 degrees.
 6. The collar stay of claim 1, wherein the stay is made of material selected from the group consisting of bendable plastic and bendable metal.
 7. A collar stay and garment arrangement comprising: an inner collar for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer; an outer fold-over collar with at least one point, the outer collar covering at least part of the inner collar; and a collar stay having a first longer portion for engaging an inner surface of the outer collar and for extending toward the point, a second shorter portion for engaging an outer surface of the inner collar, a connecting portion for connecting the first and second portions to each other, and a bend in the first portion; the bend setting an angular position between the first and second portions that set an angular position between the inner collar and the outer collar point, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other.
 8. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the bend (B) is at an acute angle.
 9. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the bend (B) is at an angle of 10 to 80 degrees.
 10. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, including a pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay.
 11. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the bend (B) is at an acute angle, the arrangement including a pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay.
 12. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, including a pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay, the pockets being substantially parallel to each other.
 13. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, including a first pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a second pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay, the second pocket comprising a fabric patch of the outer surface of the inner collar, and a pair of spaced apart seams along the patch and inner collar.
 14. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the first and second portions of the stay are substantially parallel to each other.
 15. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the stay is made of material selected from the group consisting of bendable plastic and bendable metal.
 16. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, including a pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay, the pockets being substantially parallel to each other, the pockets and the first and second portions of the stay being substantially parallel to each other.
 17. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, including a first pocket in the inner surface of the outer collar for the first portion of the stay and a second pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar for the second portion of the stay, the second pocket being at an angle of about 20 to 60 degrees to a major axis of the inner collar.
 18. The collar stay and garment arrangement of claim 7, wherein the first and second portions of the stay are at an angle of about zero to 60 degrees to each other.
 19. A collar arrangement for a garment comprising: an inner collar for laying around at least part of the neck of a wearer; an outer fold-over collar covering at least part of the inner collar; and an elongated pocket in the outer surface of the inner collar stay, the pocket having an opening for receiving a stiffening stay.
 20. The collar arrangement of claim 19, wherein the pocket extends at an acute angle to a major axis of the inner collar and comprises a pair of spaced part seams, the pocket being closed at an end that is opposite the opening of the pocket. the bend setting an angular position between the first and second portions that set an angular position between the inner collar and the outer collar point, as well as setting a relative position of the inner and outer collars with respect to each other. 